1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an accessory of an operating bed which facilitates image guided diagnostic and therapeutic medical operative procedures.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
The present invention may be used in image guided diagnostic and therapeutic medical operative procedures, which are often performed in a delicate manner with specialized instruments such as a catheter and guide wire. Examples of such procedures are vascular and interventional radiological procedures for endovascular treatment of cancers and cerebrovascular diseases, and angioplasty and stenting procedures for diseased vessels such as heart vessels. During such procedures, the operator, who may be a physician, surgeon, or other individual, inserts instruments such as the catheter and guide wire into the patient's body to reach the target organ. The operator may remotely control the instruments outside the patient's body to operate on the target organ. The operator often monitors the operation through a monitor displaying the situation of the surgical area inside the patient's body.
The performance of the operation requires accurate tracking and precise positioning of the catheter and guide wire at the target location through fine manipulation of the instruments outside the patient's body. Such manipulation is currently performed by the operator with hands holding the instruments and resting on the patient's body.
Currently, the operator holds the catheter while resting their hand on the patient's body during fixation of the instruments, and simultaneously using their other hand to advance, withdraw, and/or rotate the catheter, and/or guide wire, or other instruments. Such manipulation requires a high degree of skill and dexterity to hold and control the catheter and guide wire steadily at the same time.
In current practice the operator's hands tire quickly, which makes it more difficult for the operator to control the instruments precisely. Though the hands of the operator may rest on the patient's body, the body surface is irregular and curved and the body moves from time to time due to pain suffered by the patient during the operation. As precise manipulation of the catheter and guide wire is of utmost importance, especially when the operation is conducted on blood vessels in the brain, for example, operators are looking for a stable working surface which can support their arms and hands.
Moreover, instruments with sharp points and edges which are placed on the patient's body may accidentally injure the patient. The patient's body may also be exposed to fluids used for continuous irrigation of the instruments during the operation. Operators are looking for a device which overcomes the foregoing shortcomings and which provides, for example, a large shield to cover and protect the patient's body.
Catheters and guide wires are typically long and occupy considerable space. In current practice, the catheters and guide wires are placed on the patient's body for easy access and convenient handling. The body is irregular and curved. The catheter and guide wire are significantly longer than the operating bed. As such, the catheters, guide wires, and other instruments cannot always be arranged in an orderly manner on the patient's body.
During the operation, an assistant is typically required to hold the catheter and guide wire at the end of the operating bed to avoid the catheter and guide wire from slipping off the patient's body and the operation table. If the catheter and guide wire slips off, it may pull the catheter and guide wire out of the operating area of the patient's body and thus cause serious injury to the patient. Existing platforms, such as that disclosed in international publication WO 99/23965, cannot provide a flat and large working surface for placing the instruments and apparatus in an orderly manner and prevent the catheter and guide wire from slipping off. Accordingly, there is a further need for a system that will also free the assistant from holding the catheter and guide wire so that they can be assigned to perform other duties.
There is therefore a need for a surgical station to be placed on the operating or patient bed which provides a large working surface for the operator to perform image guided diagnostic and therapeutic medical operative procedure. Such surgical station should be easily attachable to the operating or patient bed and allows convenient access of the patient to lie thereon.